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Missing Rings, Synchronous Growth, and Ecological Disturbance in a 36-Year Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) Provenance Study
Caroline Leland1, John Hom2, Nicholas Skowronski3
1Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York, United States of America.
Plos One
|May 17, 2016
Summary
Pitch pine trees from local seed sources exhibited better growth and fewer missing rings, indicating adaptation to local conditions. This highlights the impact of environmental factors on tree performance and climate change resilience.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Forestry
- Climate Change Science
Background:
- Provenance studies are crucial for predicting tree responses to climate change.
- Dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis) reveals growth differences related to seed source and environmental factors.
- Pitch pine (Pinus rigida Mill.) is a key species in the New Jersey Pine Barrens ecosystem.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of pitch pine trees from various seed sources in a New Jersey provenance experiment.
- To assess the influence of seed origin on tree growth, missing ring frequency, and climate change adaptation.
- To understand the combined effects of environmental drivers on tree growth and forest dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of annual radial growth in 567 36-year-old pitch pine trees from 27 seed sources.
- Dendrochronological techniques to quantify absolute annual growth and missing ring frequency.
- Comparison of growth metrics and missing ring data between local and distant seed sources.
Main Results:
- Missing rings were prevalent, particularly in 1992, 1999, and 2006, often coinciding with insect outbreaks or drought.
- Trees from local seed sources (<55 km) showed significantly fewer missing rings (5.0%) compared to northernmost (9.3%) and southernmost (7.9%) sources.
- Average ring width was greater in trees from warmer origins and highest in local seed sources, suggesting adaptation.
- Synchronized annual growth variations due to missing rings complicated interannual variability detection among seed sources.
Conclusions:
- Local seed sources of pitch pine demonstrate superior growth and resilience, likely due to adaptation to local environmental conditions and disturbances.
- Understanding the integrated impact of climate change, insect outbreaks, and other environmental drivers is essential for forest management and predicting future forest dynamics.
- Provenance-specific responses are critical for effective reforestation and conservation strategies in the face of environmental change.
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